Tree guards for apple trees

Apple tree girdling

Tree damage from mice:  When I pruned my apple tree I discovered the tree bark at the ground level was eaten by mice over the winter. Over 75% of the bark has been eaten which means the tree won't survive. 
This is called "girdling or ring-barking" and happens when mice or voles chew the bark under the snow. They are drawn to the sugary tasting bark that the tree delivers to the roots of the tree. Ironically the tree guard was in place but was not firmly pushed into the soil. This illustrates the importance of installing a good tree guard when you plant your tree.

You can buy a variety of tree guards on the market and the best one is unconventional. Firstly, the most popular is the expandible 36" white spiral PVC type with holes. They are relatively inexpensive and really easy to install.  Just make sure they are buried under the soil before winter strikes. My favourite is the PVC drainage field tile pipe with holes adapted to serve as a tree guard. Available at The Home Depot, it can be cut to any length and then cut along the length to allow for installation. Many apple tree farmers have adapted the drainage pipe for tree protection. White is the colour of choice to reflect the hot sun but black seems to work fine. The biggest challenge is getting them on without damaging the young tree bark. Firstly, attach the white spiral type to protect the tree bark and then install the drainage pipe over the spiral. Once installed, remove the white spiral. If you are planting a small orchard of trees you may want to invest in a Leonard Tree Guard Zipper that speeds up the install process.  A very cool tool! Protect your investment, my friend.  

How to make soil blocks

2" Soil blocks using Miracle-Gro Mix

I was first introduced to soil blocking in 1989 by author Eliot Coleman in his first book called The New Organic Grower. His ideas and methods on gardening attracted free spirited baby boomers of the 70's and 80's and alike to the idea of growing organically. I must admit that I was hooked and I started to make soil blocks using his well known recipe of compost, peat moss, garden soil, blood meal and other fertilizers.

The idea of soil blocking was well known to the British where the soil blocker was manufactured by Ladbrooke Soil Blocks and it really took roots when Eliot Coleman described how to make this gooey organic mix into square blocks with a hole in the top for seeding. This eliminated the need for plastic or styrofoam pots and made potting up really easy by using larger soil blocks.  Blockers are made in three sizes, 1/4" mini blocks, 2" blocks and 4" large blocks so planting up is easy. I must admit that the 2" block suited my purpose for a short term growing period of 4-6 weeks for cukes, beans and tomatoes. Eliot's original recommendation was to build a wooden box 20" long x 10" wide, open on one side for easy access in the garden, to hold 36 soil blocks 2" square. I still have them today.

Wood tray cleaned & ready

Making the blocks is relatively easy using Miracle-Gro potting mix which contains peat moss, fertilizer, and perlite for drainage. Mix lots of warm water with the potting mix until it runs out when squeezed with your hands. It will have a consistency of moist mud so wear gloves to keep your nails clean. Push the blocker into the mud/soil and twist until the blocker is full. Using a wood stick scrape the bottom to level the soil. Place the blocker on the tray and gently push the blocks out and repeat the process keeping the blocker very close to the previous blocks. There will be a 1/8" space between the blocks that air prunes the roots as the plant grows. I use an old bread knife to separate and lift the blocks when potting up or planting in the garden. Drop the seeds into the top holes and cover with a light dusting of soil and spray with a water bottle.

GBBQ greenhouse tray

I'm experimenting with a BBQ chicken tray/lid as a small greenhouse using the soil blocks. Wash out the container in hot soapy water and drill holes in the plastic lid. Instant greenhouse with humidity control! You can get 9-10 blocks into the tray with a little help and the tray keeps your window sill clean. The cukes germinated twice as fast than others not in the greenhouse!  Just pour water in the tray and the soil blocks will draw up the H20.

The acronym GBBQ (Greenhouse BBQ) may soon become synonymous with soil blocking! );  Try soil blocking, my friend!

How to grow a tomato plant

In this part of the country, Ottawa, ON, Canada, the weather has warmed up and it's time to start planting your garden. In the past most gardeners, including myself, just dug a hole and planted newly purchased plants in their native soil without any fertilizer. However, times have changed and we now collectively strive to produce a better tasting, bigger, healthier and disease free fruit by augmenting the soil with compost, fertilizer and loving care.

It starts in early April when gardeners seed their favourite varieties and nurture them over the next 7-8 weeks. Following a week of hardening off in the outdoors, they are ready for their long adventure in the summer garden.  We are happy and anxious, it's like the kids going off to college!  

A few weeks prior to planting work the soil with your shovel or garden spade and add organic fertilizer. If the soil is heavy with clay add some sand to loosen it up and facilitate drainage. If your soil is a sandy tilth add peat moss or  a Triple Mix Garden Soil containing humus, sphagnum peat moss and compost. Home Depot also has special pricing on Miracle-Gro Premium Potting Mix - 60.5 Litre that can be mixed 50:50 or less into your native garden soil. You can also add sheep manure or mushroom compost to energize your soil.

Take a look at the video below where I explain in detail how I fertilize and grow the beloved tomato plant. Let's get planting, my friend.

How to grow climbing cucumbers

Sweet Slice Burpless

A member of the gourd family, the noble cucumber (Cucumis sativum) was cultivated in India over 4,000 years ago. In 1494 it arrived on the shores of Haiti courtesy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. In the early 1500's there is evidence it was traded and grown in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by explorer Jacques Cartier. Today, cucumbers are grown around the world with China holding the gold medal for the greatest production.

In general terms, cukes are either pickling, slicing or bitterless types and available in a myriad of varieties due to cross breeding. As you may know, cukes take lots of room in the garden so growing them on a trellis is a great idea for urban gardeners.

Pick a sunny part of your garden and start with preparing the earth with compost or organic fertilizer (triple-mix is ideal) and wait until the outdoor temperature warms up before planting your seed. Cukes will not germinate in cold soil so wait until the end of May or first weekend in June (Ottawa, Canada). If you rush them they don't grow and get stunted. Another option is to germinate the seeds indoors using soil blocks (as demonstrated by the Floret Flowers blog in Mount Vernon, Washington) or use Jiffy-7 peat pellets 2-3 weeks before transplanting outdoor. If you purchase plants at the local nursery, carefully plant the whole tray in one location as cukes don't like to have their roots disturbed. Water and work the soil well before planting.

Growing vertical in a small space

When growing on a trellis I overseed them in a row and then cull the weakest plants. The strongest plants should be approximately 6"-8" apart. When they start to grow I help them grow vertically by wrapping the tendrils (green curly arms) around the trellis. Once they get going they will find their way up the trellis. For the past few years I have been using the concrete wire fence in photo, available at Home Depot, supported by a few bamboo poles. Otherwise you can use jute twine (biodegradable) or nylon fishing twine to create vertical support.

One of my favourites is Sweet Slice available at Stokes Seeds. It is a burpless type that you can eat with the skin. Just try it! Wash it, close your eyes, eat it and you can't tell the difference. Another interesting variety is the smaller, sweet tasting, virtually seedless and smooth/thin skinned Lebanese cucumber. The reason cukes are so refreshing is the 96% water content making them also low in calories. In addition they contribute to a recommended daily requirement of Vitamin K.  "Stay cool as a cucumber", my friend.

How to grow tomatoes upside-down

Defying gravity in your garden: A few years ago the market was abundant with upside-down tomato plants at the Home Depot and local nurseries. It was the rage of garden enthusiasts and created a myriad of discussions at the water cooler and backyard gatherings. Today, it appears that the excitement of an upside-down tomato plant is starting wane in popularity because of it's difficulty to grow, water and manage. However, that has not dampened my determination to defy all odds and succeed at growing cherry tomatoes in this unusual way!

Tomato plants require a large volume of soil (do you remember the photo of the 50" tomato root in my post on March 18th) and lots of moisture as they dry out quickly in the hot sun. In addition the pot gets really heavy and must be secured to a sturdy railing, wall or tree. Understanding these challenges let's get started. I use a fairly large pot around 1 foot square and secure 3 short chains to the pot by drilling holes around the pot edge. The chains will be secured to a steel support that is screwed into my deck about 6 feet off the ground. Using an exacto knife cut a hole in the bottom of the pot big enough to accept a small plant. Then place a small piece of landscape cloth around the hole inside the pot to prevent soil from falling out. Keep the pot away from the tomato stem because when it sways in the wind the pot will cut the stem! Then gently push the plant through the hole and fill the pot with Miracle-Gro Potting mix. One year I tried planting flowers at the top of the pot, however, the flowers only lasted for a short while. The soil capacity was just too small to support the tomato and flowers together.

As the plant grows you will notice the vines trying to reach upwards towards daylight, but as the vine gets larger and laden with tomatoes the weight will bend it towards the ground. I have never had a vine break regardless of the weight. I might add that I always use cherry tomato plants because regular size tomatoes would be too heavy. The real problem is constant watering is required each day and twice a day during the hot summer. I'm also going to try and add more fertilizer and that should help.

You may also want to try the Lee Valley Tools pot that is specifically designed for upside-down plants. It has a unique watering system with a wick. I'm trying one this summer, so I will give you some feedback later in the summer. Topsy-Turvy upside-down, my friend.

How to grow potatoes in pots

Growing potatoes in pots is a great idea for city folks who don't have the luxury of a large garden in their backyard. Its also fun, easy and can be one of your first crops to enjoy. Anytime after May 1st is a good time (Ottawa, ON, Canada) to plant and you should harvest small potatoes on Father's Day in mid-June!

To start, purchase disease free certified potato seed from your garden centre. Depending on the size, potatoes can be planted whole or cut into ice cube size pieces before planting. The sprouts are called potato eyes and each piece should have at least one eye. If you cut them, allow them to dry a few days before planting. Apparently if you plant large seeds the plant grows smaller potatoes. If you plant smaller seeds you get fewer but larger potatoes. Strange eh? But let's not be too concerned about this detail.

As you may know, potatoes grow up and not downwards so your planting preparation is different from other crops. You may want to mix a bit of bone meal or other organic fertilizer with the soil prior to planting. Place a 3" layer of soil at the bottom of the pot and place 3 potatoes with the eyes facing up in the pot and just cover them with soil.  It won't be too long before they sprout and when 3-4 inches tall add more soil. Keep adding soil until the plant reaches the top of the pot and that's it. You can use large garbage cans or any container that will hold earth but keep in mind they can get heavy to handle. Keep them well watered during the growing season.

The latest rage is to use a two pot system with the inner pot cut away to harvest the potatoes without dumping the complete pail. When you want to harvest some potatoes, just lift the inner pot from the outer pot and presto - you see potatoes! You can make your own pots by cutting away sections of the pot with a exacto knife and drill holes in the bottom for drainage.

My favourite potato is the Yukon Gold variety that has a waxy yellow flesh with a great taste. It's from Canada, eh? It was developed and released in 1980 by the Department of Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada . Universal in nature, its great for boiling, baking and poutine french fries! Oh, yes, poutine (french fries with cheese curds and brown gravy) - another great Canadian creation by the folks in La Belle Province, Québec, Canada. 1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, my friend!

How to plant an apple tree

Apple Blossoms in May

Your first apple tree: Spring has arrived and this is the best time to plant your apple tree.

Locate your tree where it will get sun 6+ hours a day and ideally where your yard slopes in one direction to drain heavy rain. Drive a wood spike where you want to plant the tree and stand back to visualize a much bigger tree. Dig the hole twice the size of the tree pot and twice as deep, if possible. Remove the top layer of grass and subsoil and place it on a plastic tarp to keep your lawn clean. Place the clay, rocks and debris in another area of the tarp for disposal. I put the latter under my deck where the soil needs to be raised for drainage. Turn the sod upside down in the hole and water the hole and wait for it to drain. The sod will eventually decompose and provide nutrients to the tree.

Purchase some good garden soil and sheep or mushroom manure at your Garden Centre and mix it 50:50 with the native soil you removed from the hole. Do not use inexpensive black earth.  It comes from bogs and is often referred to as black muck. Black earth turns to mud when watered and in my opinion should not be used in a garden. There is a reason it's only $1.00 per bag. The old proverb "dig a $20 hole for a $10 dollar tree" is soooo..... true when it comes to trees!

Ideally, you have watered the tree the day before you plant it. Remove the tree from the pot and place it into the hole. The tree soil should be a few inches above the native grass because it will settle with time. Use your smartphone compass app to determine the westerly direction and orient the tree so the graft is facing the westerly prevailing winds, otherwise the tree will bend and possibly break at the graft. (Look at the trees in your neighbourhood that are in the open field and you will notice they are all leaning towards the east, compliments of the westerly winds) Fill the hole 1/2 way around the tree and water generously. Finally, top up the soil and create a little volcano of soil to direct rain to the root and water once more.

Also, don't forget to place a good tree guard around the tree to prevent mice or moles from "girdling" the tree - eating the bark 360 ° and killing the tree. (this usually happens in winter under the snow) You may also want to drive two stakes (east and west sides) into the ground to support the tree from bending in the wind. Place the stakes on the west and east side of the tree.  Pruning the tree at this time is also a good idea because the growth should go to the roots. Water the tree every week during the first year of growth. Now, go find a great recipe for apple crisp, my friend. 

What is a Heirloom tomato plant?

Tomato history 101: Historians have the tomato plant originating from Peru, South America and then spreading to Mexico and Europe by Spanish merchants. Ironically, the tomato plant was imported into Canada and USA by European Immigrants and not by way of Mexico. 

The Heirloom: Prior to the mid-1800's, seeds were collected and exchanged by families and handed down through generations. It was an annual event with farmers collecting and drying seeds for next year's crop. Generally speaking, the seeds produced tomatoes of the same size, colour and taste. We call these open pollinated varieties because the seed can be saved year to year.  Many of these open pollinated types are called heirlooms or heritage because they are steeped in tomato history. One example is the heirloom Purple Cherokee passed down from the Cherokee Indians and yes, it is purplish red in colour. 

Heirloom varieties do come with some drawbacks as they can be more susceptible to disease, irregular in size and shape and may not be the perfect looking tomato as they ripen unevenly. However, heirlooms are noted for having great texture and a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Today, gardeners are stepping outside the tomato box and trying different varieties so you see more Heirloom varieties in garden centres. As we know many grocery shoppers tend to pick the best looking tomatoes but that does not equate to a good tasting tomato. Last week I bought great looking hot house tomatoes (Mexico) at the grocery store and they tasted like red corrugated cardboard at best! What was I thinking! 

The Hybrid: During mid to late 1800's seed companies arrived and started to sell seeds, one of them being Stokes Seeds, established in 1881. For the next 70 years or so, seed companies sold open pollinated varieties until Burpee's Seeds introduced the first hybrid tomato in 1949 called Burpee's Big Boy. This breeding technique resulted in a new generation of hybrid plants. A hybrid is created when the pollen of one plant is applied to the pistil (yes) of another plant which results in a new tomato variety from the two parents. The new hybrid plant then has the dominant traits of the parent plants. Plants bred this way tend to be stronger, are less susceptible to disease, produce tomatoes of similar size, good tasting and look great!  However, gardeners cannot save hybrids seeds year-to-year because the offspring would be unpredictable.

In closing: Some heirlooms like the Heirloom Brandywine have potato leaf foliage while the Hybrid Ultra Boy bears the regular tomato leaf shape. This is possible because they both belong to the solanaceae plant family. You may also see plants at your garden centre that have potato roots grafted to a tomato stem a plant that produces tomatoes and potatoes on the same plant.  Weird, eh? But true. A topic for another day. Garden on, my friend.   

How to build a compost barrel

Rotating compost barrel

Composting at home: Today, everyone is conscious of their carbon footprint and it's impact on the Earth's ecosystem. Many cities and towns have introduced composting programs that collect and recycle your kitchen waste by turning it into compost and re-selling it back to their taxpayers! H'mmm can we get a discount on our property taxes? ;) 
So why not compost at home since you have the bi-product at your hands. A rich sweet smelling compost can be used as a top dressing or mixed into your garden soil to benefit your plants, and its free.  
Leaves, grass clippings, weeds, dead flowers, plants, food scraps, fruit wastes, coffee and tea grounds, dryer lint, newspaper, shredded paper, corrugated cardboard and manure are some of the ideal products to compost. The formula is roughly 8 parts brown and 1 part green (carbon to nitrogen) chopped up and mixed with some earth. Keep the compost damp and let it sit for a few days. Then rotate it every day for one week and twice a week for the next 2 weeks. The compost pundits say you can produce compost in 3 weeks! If the compost smells add more brown and if it does not heat up add more green. Since this is my first barrel I will report back to you later in a few months on its effectiveness. Also, drill lots of 3/8" holes in the barrel because compost needs plenty of oxygen, water and heat to decompose. This post is dedicated to my buds, Jean-Yves, Wayne, and Doug who have taken great interest in this project. ); Take a look at the quick paced slide show demonstrating how to build a compost barrel. Put on your dancing shoes, turn up the sound and click play! Reduce, reuse and recycle, my friend!  

 

How to grow Portulaca flowers

Just look at those blooms!If you are looking for a flower that keeps on blooming and requires little watering, thisnative South America beauty may be for you! The flowers growing in the 5" eavestrough attached to my garden shed are Happy Trails Mix variety.   It grows 9-10" high, is self-cleaning and the colours are amazing. It's also available in solid colours: yellow, orange, pink, white, red, or peppermint. Portulaca pundits say it grows better in poor soil that is sandy and drains well. A word of caution, do not over water them and water lightly when needed. That makes sense since it hails from the hot South American climates of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Also, keep in mind that it blooms best in 10+ hours of sun. If you grow them from seed, do not cover the seed because they need light to germinate. I buy plants at the garden centre and save my grow lights for tomatoes. If you have not grown this flower it's time to take a leap of faith. In the words of Brazil-born novelist Paulo Coelho "Be brave. Take Risks. Nothing can substitute experience."  Now,  get out your dancing shoes, my friend and watch "Window Bob Bee" drinking his Portulaca nectar in "The Bee Project".

You Tube video link:  https://youtu.be/f5AF6MEyZIA

          

Growing tomatoes from seed v2

Two week check-up: It's time to give you an update of the tomato seeds we plants a few weeks ago. The seeds took about 6 days to germinate and they just starting to develop their true leaves which means they should be re-planted into individual containers. Click on the video and take the tour, my friend.

Two-week Ultra Boy Tomato seedling

You Tube video link:  https://youtu.be/rlP9PfehcIs

                                     

 

Window Bee Bob

Yellow Jacket Hornet Wasp

Mother nature at work: Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Window Bee Bob!
Early one morning Bee Bob landed on our kitchen window and stayed long enough for this striking portrait. A great looker with big black eyes, spiked gelled hair, groovy arms, clingy legs and two long antennas on it's head. It's really apparent where they get costume ideas for the Star Wars Trilogies!
Actually, Bob is a Yellow Jacket Hornet wasp, not a bee, and he plays an important role to control pest insects in your garden. As spring arrives, the pregnant Queen wasp will awaken from her winter hibernation to build a new colony of workers. Similar to our pesky mosquitoes only the females will sting you while the male is off drinking nectar! Go figure! (Go Sens Go!)
Camera details, Apple iphone with close-up lens.
To quote our Canadian TV game show host Alex Trebek, "If you can't be in awe of Mother Nature, there's something wrong with you." appreciate Mother Nature, my friend.

Selecting Your Apple Tree

Dwarf 5-N-1 Jonagold, Liberty, Yellow Delicious, 
Melrose and Gravenstein varieties 

Tree varieties: It's mid-April and the trees are starting to arrive at the garden centres so let's talk about selecting a tree for your yard. You may have noticed that apple trees growing in the wild are usually 40' tall, laden with branches and a huge ladder parked underneath. Thanks to root grafting today's apple tree is more manageable to prune and harvest. You will notice the graft at the bottom just above the ground where a non-apple root is grafted to the apple stock. The dwarf version, technically referred to as M7 and M9 rootstock will keep the tree around 8-10 feet high. The M26 grows 15' tall and is very popular in apple orchards. There are a multitude of rootstocks and over 7,000 apple varieties worldwide. Yikes! Speaking of grafting, one popular tree for us city folks is the M7 5-N-1 dwarf version. Firstly, the tree is grafted onto a rootstock and up to 5 varieties are grafted on the main stem. You harvest 5 different apple varieties growing on the same tree! The tree in the photo produced 20 apples in its first year. Also, because apple trees need another variety close by to pollinate and produce apples, the 5-N-1 meets that criteria! Keep that in mind if you are buying a single variety ie. a MacIntosh tree, you will need to purchase a second tree of a different variety to pollinate each other unless your neighbour has a tree. A nearby crabapple tree will also serve as a pollinator. Author Elizabeth Wright penned a dialect version of the popular apple rhyme in 1913: "Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An' you'll make the doctor beg his bread; or as the more popular version runs: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away." Grow apples, my friend!

Growing tomatoes from seed v1

Heritage Brandywine, Cherokee Purple; Hybrid Chocolate

Sprinkles grape, Ultra Boy II and Better Boy Indeterminate

It's seeding time: Between April 1st to 15th most backyard gardeners seed their tomatoes. If you are a novice, this post is for you! Ordering your seeds online from a reputable seed supplier in January is ideal because they offer so many varieties. Otherwise, stop by the Home Depot or your garden centre and check their selections. Construct some wood boxes using plywood and pine (scrubbed and cleaned each year to avoid diseases) or purchase gardening containers for this purpose. Use fresh Miracle-Gro Premium Potting Mix dampened with hot water to warm it up. Mix well and fill your containers. Don't forget to mark the containers with plastic markers to identify the varieties. Once you have distributed the seeds, cover them lightly with soil and press down gently. Then using a spray bottle filled with warm water, spray the top of the soil. Now to find a warm room or window! A temperature of 21ºC/70ºF to 27ºC/80ºF is required to germinate the seeds in 5-10 days. To help preserve the moisture I cover the trays with 1 layer of newspaper. Check them daily and make sure your cat does not walk on the newspaper! Once the seedlings emerges, remove the newspaper and put them near a bright window or under fluorescent lights before they get too leggy. Under fluorescent lights in my basement, I reduce the temperature to 15ºC/60ºF to 20ºC/68ºF to check their growth. The first set of leaves are called seed leaves and the following are true leaves. When the true leaves start to grow you can re-pot them to larger containers filled with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Seed on, my friend.

Indeterminate vs Determinate Tomato Plants

Indeterminate Orange Zinger
Hybrid Cherry

Tomato plant varieties: Whether you plant from seed or purchase your plants from your local garden centre the question is, which type should you buy? If you are a backyard gardener I recommend you select Indeterminate plants that ripen gradually in the cluster; and continue flowering and growing over your gardening season. Most pundits agree they also taste better, however they will require a tad more care. Indeterminates do not have a growth plateau and can easily grow +6' tall so they need to be staked or caged. The plant height can be maintained by simply cutting the vine leaders to the desired height. In addition, the suckers that grow between the axils of the leaves need to be removed or the plant gets really big. Pruning suckers is a hotly debated subject and to be honest some gardeners don't sucker and end up with plenty of tomatoes but hugh plants. Determinate plants are self-supporting, and do not require staking or caging and only grow about 3-4' high. Also, pruning suckers is not required. The downside is they all ripen within 2 weeks! This may be ideal if you are processing tomatoes and require them to ripen at the same time. Commercial growers plant Determinate types so they can be machine harvested at one time. Garden on, my friend!

Pruning Your Apple Tree

5-N-1 Dwarf Variety Apple Tree

Today is April fool's Day and that's when I prune my apple trees. No kidding! To begin, this post is not intended to cover all the pruning knowledge that I have acquired from a small orchard of 12 trees and cramming Apple Growing courses at Kemptville Agricultural College. However, I will cover the importance of pruning and some tips. Firstly, pruning your tree will send a signal to the tree to prompt new vigorous growth. Without pruning, the tree will grow leggy and will become a mass of branches making the tree weak.
a) Trim 1/3 of last year's growth cutting in front of a bud pointing towards the sky,  (cutting the branch where the bud points down will produce a weaker new branch susceptible to breaking.
b) Remove any lower branches (it's a tree, not a bush) and make sure the tree guard is in place.
c) Remove any branches growing inward as all branches should grow outwards.
d) Ideally, the branches should run more parallel to the ground than upwards. If you only have one or two trees you can attach a heavy object like a fishing sinker to each branch to pull it down. However, this is not practical in a large orchard. If you think you have trimmed too much, you have probably done a great job. My apple growing Instructor always said "if a big robin can fly through the trimmed tree, it's perfect"!  I will cover tree selection, pollination and planting tips in a future post! Prune on, my friend!

Mobile Greenhouse Project

Building a mobile greenhouse will extend your spring growing season giving your tomato plants or vegetables a head start in early spring! This 10' long x 24" wide greenhouse was built from 3/4" PVC pipes and connectors purchased from Home Depot and Lee Valley Tools. Once it is covered with plastic or fabric it can be secured to the ground with landscaping staples or a bamboo pole secured at each end. The ends can be opened for air flow during warmer days. When summer arrives you can take it apart and store in your basement or shed providing you did not glue the parts.  Opp's did I say don't glue it?  Providing you don't glue it, you can change the configuration of the greenhouse using the parts. A great winter project while we wait for warmer weather!

Organic fertilizer for Tomato Plants

This Organic fertilizer combination will produce strong green plants with loads of flowers producing big, juicy, great tasting tomatoes. Also, the addition of Agricultural Gypsum will reduce end blossom rot; and act as an amendment, conditioner and fertilizer. Once you have worked your soil, mix the Kelp meal, Fish bone meal, Alfalfa pellets or meal and Bone meal in a bucket then spread it evenly on top of the soil. The fish meal is yellowish in colour, therefore distribution will be evident. Work the fertilizer into the soil. This organic mixture quantity is good for 6 to 8 tomato plants spaced 2' apart.

2 cups Kelp meal         NPK  1-0.15-1.5  
2 cups Fish meal          NPK  6-12-0 
2 cups Alfalfa pellets   NPK  3-1-2  
4 cups Bone meal         NPK  4-10-0

Before planting add 1 cup of Agricultural gypsum into hole and mix well. Plant tomato plants as deep as possible and remove any leaves buried below soil level. The plant will produce roots along the buried stem and absorb the nutrients from the fertilizer. Water the hole before placing the plant to ensure a good start. Now stand back and watch them grow!

NPK - Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium

Tomato plants are heavy feeders and if you expect to get an exceptional crop, they need to be feed continually during the growing season. Last fall I harvested an amazing 50" long tomato stem root. I keep it in my root cellar for "show and tell events". The root was from a 7' tall cherry tomato plant that produced over 500+ cherry tomatoes! As you may know, plants need a blend of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) in order to grow. Nitrogen (N) is required for green leaves and develop a strong upper plant structure. Phosphorus (P) contributes to root growth, flowers and fruit development. Potassium (K) is a nutrient that increases crop harvest and enhances quality by contributing to the overall growing functions of the plant. The next time you purchase a bag of soil or fertilizer take note of the NPK ratio indicated on the bag. This information will form the basis in understanding the components in my outstanding Tomato Plant Fertilizer containing 5 organic fertilizers, that will be posted in a future post. Stay tuned!

Calibrachoa annual flower for hanging baskets

The Calibrachoa flowering annual is a must have for all gardeners. This relatively new flower is available as a potted plant at Home Depot, Loblaws Garden Centre or your local nursery. Unfortunately, this hybrid cultivar is patented and seeds are not available to the public at large. Bummer!  On the bright side, Calibrachoa is available in many colours, produce tons of flowers, self-cleaning (no need to deadhead), and love the sun. You can find this flower in the Stokes Seeds gardening catalogue located in the perennial section. In warm climates zone 9-11 (not in Canada) it also grows as perennial! It is similar to small petunias but more prolific and outstanding in number of flowers and rich colours. I use fresh Miracle-Gro Premium potting mix each year and the flowers kabloom! This is my go-to plant for hanging baskets!